The present invention relates to a device for controlling and/or regulating an electric current flowing through an electromagnetic consumer, the device being of the type which includes a bridge circuit assembled of four current controlling units in which the electromagnetic consumer is connected in the diagonal branch.
In the German publication No. 21 32 717 a current regulating device is disclosed in which a measuring resistor, a current controlling unit and an electromagnetic consumer are connected in series. By means of the current controlling unit the potential at the connection point between the measuring resistor and the consumer is regulated to a desired value. Accordingly, a predetermined unidirectional current flowing through the electromagnetic consumer can be generated. From the German patent application P No. 33 25 044.8 a current regulator is known which consists of four current controlling units connected in a bridge circuit whose diagonal branch includes a series connection of a measuring resistor and an electromagnetic consumer. By means of the four current controlling units the desired potential is adjusted across the measuring resistor. In this manner, a predetermined current flowing through the consumer in either direction can be adjusted.
The latter device, however, requires a complicated and expensive circuit design which can be realized only with a large number of circuit components. Moreover, this known device cannot change the rating of the predetermined value of the current flowing through the consumer.